July 1, 2021
MEMORANDUM
The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting portal is now open for providers to report on use of payments received between April 10 and June 30, 2020. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) also posted a PRF Reporting Portal Data Entry workbook and a PRF Reporting Portal user guide to assist providers as they complete the reporting process. Additional guidance and a reporting FAQ document are also available on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) CARES Act Provider Relief Fund website.
Additionally, HHS updated the PRF FAQs. Worth noting is a new FAQ that definitively states HRSA will not use “other assistance received” in the calculation of expenses or lost revenues. In October 2020 HHS added an FAQ stating “other assistance received” (e.g., FEMA, other COVID grants) would be reported as operating revenue and used in the calculation of the year-over-year change in patient care related revenue. In early 2021, HHS deleted that FAQ from the guidance, and this July 1 update clarifies that HHS does not expect providers to treat “other assistance received” as operating revenue in their calculation of lost revenues.
HHS and HRSA are hosting a Technical Assistance webinar to introduce providers to the PRF reporting portal on Thursday, July 8 at 2 p.m. CDT. Registration is required.
Hospital PRF payments made between April 10 and June 30, 2020 include the phase 1 general distribution (April), the first rural distribution (May 6), the first high impact distribution (May 7), skilled nursing facility payments (May 22), and the first safety net hospital distribution (June 9). The updated reporting deadlines do not apply to the rural health clinic COVID-19 testing program, HRSA’s reimbursement for testing, treatment and vaccine administration for uninsured individuals, or the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund. See IHA’s June 11 summary of PRF updates for more information.
Please send questions and comments to IHA.